Two Nelson County residents have gone missing after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which left more than 100 dead.
The series of coordinated attacks occurred late Wednesday. Gunmen targeted popular tourist spots in the city, according to the Associated Press.
The Synchronicity Foundation, headquartered in Nelson County, was hosting a meditation pro-gram at the Oberoi Hotel, one of the sites hit by the attacks.
Alan and Naomi Scherr, who live at the foundation’s monastery near Wintergreen resort, are unaccounted for, according to Bobbie Garvey, the group’s vice president.
Garvey said six other Nelson County residents were at the program, but were not injured: Patty and Phil Duncan of Nellysford, Lisa Barizilay of Nellysford, Amy Venezian of Afton, Ben Radtke and Charles Cannon.
Cannon and Radtke live at the monastery, Garvey said.
Cannon, the founder and spiritual leader of the Synchronicity movement, travels the world teaching seminars in spirituality and meditation.
Often when he would make trips to India, where he had received his monastic training, “mem-bers of our community always say we want to go and see what India’s all about,” Garvey said.
When Cannon scheduled his current trip to India, 25 members of the Synchronicity community signed up to go.
“They were having a wonderful time” visiting shrines and other sacred Hindu sites, Garvey said. “Until the terrorists showed up.”
The attacks began after dark, hitting two luxury hotels, including the Oberoi, which was host-ing Cannon’s program, an airport, railway station and sites popular with tourists. Up to 16 groups attacked nine sites, according to the Associated Press.
Alan and Naomi Scherr have been missing since the attacks hit the hotel.
Two Canadian members of the group and two women from Tennessee were shot, but were treated and lived.
Intelligence officials told the Associated Press that it is not clear who carried out the well-planned attacks, although a previously unknown group calling itself Deccan Mujahideen said it was responsible.
The Synchronicity movement established itself in Nelson County in 1983, when Cannon opened the Shrine of the Heart Synchronicity Sanctuary near the Wintergreen resort.
The foundation promotes modern spirituality and meditation aided by technology.
Bryan Gentry is a staff writer for The News & Advance in Lynchburg.
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